Partner
by Ionuneos
Summary: Today, Applejack is coming home after running away. I, Derpy, have discovered that it's due in part to me that she disappeared in the first place, and as such know that it is my duty to apologize to her. It shall be done!


I knew it was going to be a long wait. That was okay.

Twilight Sparkle sent a letter to the Apple family the other day. I wasn't supposed to read it (boy, have I learned _that_ lesson. "Just deliver it!" the boss would always yell at me), but I can't help it if the message falls out of the envelope and my eyes glance over it! At least I wasn't caught doing so this time. The letter said that they had found Applejack, and they would be returning to Ponyville today. I'd heard that the old farm pony had ran off. That was terrible! I thought Applejack was a great pony. We didn't get to talk much, only when she had some mail really, but I enjoyed it all the same.

I don't really know the story behind it very well, but I heard some of my fellow coworkers talking to each other. Actually, they were whispering. And maybe I was eavesdropping. Anyway, I heard them say that it was pretty much Derpy's fault that Applejack ran away. And Derpy's me! At the time that they said it, it did hurt a little bit. But as I was picking up the large bundle of mail that I had dropped in the mud, I got thinking that they were right. Applejack left for some rodeo the day that I bumped into town hall so she could win money to fix it back up. If I hadn't accidentally flown into the roof, she wouldn't have had anything to fix. In a way, it was sort of my fault. I'm not going to take all the blame, though. Those carpenters should be ashamed of themselves for making roofs so fragile like that.

I wasn't doing anything important, so knowing that Applejack was coming home today, I decided to visit Sweet Apple Acres. I should apologize for what happened. When I first arrived, I knocked on the door, but no one was home. Deciding I should absolutely confirm that no one was here, I pushed the unlocked door in and investigated. I felt just like a super detective! Until I knocked over a glass jar filled with apple juice. I found some paper towels to clean it up with, but then the cardboard innards of the towels rolled into the dishwasher and clogged it. Water started gushing out from at least three different spots on the dishwasher, so of course I had to use the paper towels to fill those up. So I didn't have anything left to clean the apple juice up with. I decided I should just leave it. I doubt Applejack will mind much.

After that, I stepped outside and I've been sitting here ever since. At times I was tempted to get up, stretch my legs, and explore the orchards, but I decided against it. This place was so serene. When the wind blew, all of the unripe apples jingled against the nearest leaves. It was beautiful all day long, too. No matter where that bright orb in the sky moved, it cast a brilliant glow on all of the apple trees down here on silly little earth. My eyes watered up a bit when the sun began setting. An orange, pink, and lavender sky hanging over Sweet Apple Acres is something I think every pony needs to see at least once in their lifetime. I'm glad I had my opportunity.

Besides the sights, sitting had other benefits as well. I had plenty of time to think. And I thought about everything. I thought about the friends that I had made sitting here. Two birds and a bunny rabbit all came to visit me! Not at the same time, of course, as bunnies and birds are naturally scared of each other. I think there was a gruesome war between them a long time ago. At any rate, that war is over now, and it felt good to have some company through the day. I got thinking of my job, too. It's a good place to be, and I'm glad that everyone there sees me as an equal. My boss told me today that I can have the next ten years off. Think about that. Ten years! I don't understand why he sounded so mad when he was saying it, though. And I don't think I should take ten years off, either. That sounds like a really fun vacation, but I'm probably going to need money before that. I'll go back tomorrow and see if I can shorten it up a bit. Or maybe I'll wait a few days.

The sun was going down behind those mountains. That meant that I had spent almost the entire day here. I was okay with that, though. Like I said, I knew it would be awhile before Applejack came home. She was probably partying with her friends and family, like she should be. I've noticed that she goes to a lot of parties. I don't get invited to so many of them anymore. A fellow coworker mentioned that all of Applejack's friends were going to throw her a surprise party before she ran away. Maybe it hurt a little that I wasn't invited, but it was probably for the best anyway. I had a lot of mail to get through that day.

I was beginning to get excited that I would get to see a nighttime at Sweet Apple Acres. The day had been gorgeous, so a night would surely be even better. I decided to lay on my back so I could better look at the stars. Before hitting the ground, however, my head bumped into a basketful of apples. I had no idea there had been a basket of apples behind me this entire time. The tall stack of them spilled out as my head ran into them. I scurried to my hooves so I could pick them up, but that's when I saw a mouse run up and grab one! Just a tiny little mouse! I thought it was cute at first, but I realized the sinister beast's true intentions when it bolted away. It was towing the apple along with it. "Hey!" I exclaimed, "That's Applejack's! You can't take that!"

Unfortunately, heroic as they were, my intentions were thwarted. An unseen shovel laid on the ground before me, no doubt a safety measure against thieves. Today, the trap backfired. I tripped over the tool while the villain scampered off, cloaking itself with the shadows of the night. My face got dirtied from the impact, but it was my pride that was most injured. I rose to my haunches and stared into the abyss, perhaps hoping that my enemy would choke on his unearned meal.

My failure wasn't meant to be pondered on for long. A sound that I hadn't heard throughout the entire day broke up the stillness of the night. That sound was a voice. This particular one had a strong accent on it, one not so refined, but perfect in its own unique way. I had a lot in common with the accent, really. I should try mimicking the sound some day, but not this one. For now, I simply allowed myself to listen and be enlightened by it. "Uhh... Yer my mail carrier, aren't you?"

I turned away from my position, resisting the urge to shake my hooves in anger at that thieving rat's victory. Rather, I faced the young mare I had been waiting twelve hours for. Her family, mostly non-descript, poured into their home's door in the background. My eyes, however, fixed themselves on Applejack. Standing there in the illumination of the moonlight, she looked like she was truly exhausted. Her orange fur was ruffled, her blonde mane so similar to my own was unkempt, and her green eyes had only the strength to stay open halfway. Likewise, she was sizing up myself. She would have seen me with a mail bag around my shoulder, a dirt-covered face, and perhaps the faint stench of fruit juice. Also, a grin, one donned as my mission here could finally be completed. "Yes, I am!" I responded, hearing my voice for the first time since I muttered some words I now feel guilty about after spilling that juice. "If you don't know, my name is Derpy!"

"Hey there, uh... Derpy." Clearly, she was elated to see me. She might not have shown a smile, but I could tell by the way she was having a hard time coming up with something to say that she was glad for my company. "So, um, what can Ah help you with? Did you have a package for me, err...?"

She was eyeing my dull-colored mail bag as she said that. Curious, I followed her gaze, but found only my simple bag there. Due mostly to her unclear wording, it took me a moment to realize she was relating those two things together. "Oh, no! I always carry this with me. You never know when duty might call!"

She took a minute to study me, then slowly (very slowly, actually) nodded her head. "Riiight. Ah'm afraid you need to help me out, partner. Why is my mail carrier sitting on my front lawn at half past eight in the evening?"

I envied her manner of speaking, much like I envied her hat. I wish I too could gain a trusted ally by simply calling them a partner. As for me, my new partner Applejack could count on me for anything, like she already does for her mail. To begin with, I acknowledged her question. "I came to deliver a message, but this one isn't written on paper. I'm here to apologize to you, Applejack."

"What...?" She looked at me inquisitively, then gave a warm smile. "Oh, you mean about losin' that order form the other week? Ah was a mite angry at the time, but things worked out. Don't worry about it, Derpy."

I lost an order form? My three days without an incident was a farce? In spite of how shocked I felt, I couldn't let Applejack know that. I played it cool and moved on with the plan. "Yes, well, this is actually about the town hall. I was informed that the incident there caused a rift to form between you and your friends and relatives. I felt partially responsible for that and felt I needed to apologize for it."

Applejack responded to that in a most unusual fashion. She heaved a long, burdened sigh. After that, she trotted forward, twirled around, and sat down on the grass right next to me. My expression revealed my confusion, but she didn't see it. Her gaze was already set at the amazing constellations and wonderful purple background that laid behind them. I lifted up my own eyes so we could watch the sky together. We sat there, her and I, just like that for a few moments until she opened her mouth to speak again. "You know somethin'? Ah've learned a lot about myself these past few days. Ah learned that Ah hate cherries, fer one thing."

I felt that was rather unnecessary. Short of assaulting ponies with those evil choking tools that they use (or "stems," as they call themselves), cherries are a delicious food. What else can rest so delicately on a bowl full of ice cream? I kept my correct opinions to myself for the time being and allowed her to finish her thoughts.

"But Ah also learned that hidin' from yer problems is the worst thing to do," the apple bucker went on. "Ah reckon you didn't need to learn that lesson."

"Ah didn't?" Copying her accent wasn't on purpose, but I wasn't able to stop myself in time. I was still nervous about her reaction to my already-negative participation in recent events. Sounding like I was mocking her could possibly anger her even more, even if mocking was the last thing I meant to do.

Just in case, I kept my head tilted towards space. Much like my untrained mouth, however, I couldn't stop my eyes from wandering to the side in an attempt to gauge her feelings. My heart, which had stuttered a bit without my approval, resumed beating normally when I saw a soft grin staring back at me. If anything, she was flattered that I had done that. I was tempted to do it again, but thought better than to push my luck. "No, ya'll didn't," she said, as if prodding me to try her accent again. Again, I was tempted. "You went out o' yer way to apologize to me tonight fer somethin' you didn't really need to. Ah can tell that you look all o' yer problems straight in the... err, eye."

I lowered my head back to earth level again. Applejack was still smiling at me, but it had become something of an apologetic grin. And the way she had said that... Was she insinuating something? I had no idea what it could be, though. Whatever it was, it was likely best left abandoned. I returned to stargazing, and so did she. It felt nice to have a common interest during our discussion. "I'm afraid there's one problem I haven't faced yet."

"Oh?" wondered Applejack. Her concern sounded genuine. "What's that?"

I spilled my beans. I felt comfortable here in Applejack's company. Secrets could be shared, and I trusted they would stay between mailmare and customer. Perhaps my partner could alleviate my sorrow. "A couple days ago, there was a surprise party planned for... a pony I know."

"Mm-hmm..." Her tone was dangerous. Could she be on to me? I thought my quick thinking had been enough to elude her, but she still sounded suspicious.

I bravely continued, "I think I'm still feeling sad that I wasn't invited to it. I was very busy, of course, so I might not have been able to attend anyway. But if I had known, I'm sure I could have rearranged things."

My concentration was broken as a hoof landed on my shoulder. I glanced at it, only to see it as the color orange. I followed the leg all the way to its owner, who was revealed to be Applejack. I caught her welcoming smile and returned it with an unsure half-frown in a dare for her to cheer me up. Surprising me, she took her best shot at it. "Ah wouldn't feel so bad about that, Derpy. Ah'm sure the invitation just got lost in the, um... mail." There had been a pause before she spoke that final word, and I caught her watching my mailbag as she said it. For the second time, I felt like there was a bubble of thought right in front of me that I wasn't able to grasp, although Applejack was. She cleared her throat and rather hastily went on, "Besides, Ah'm sure whoever that party was for would have wanted you to be there."

My jaw dropped down at those words. If she really did know that it was her I had been talking about, that would mean that she wanted me at her party. I couldn't be sure she was as keen to the true subject at hoof as I was, but even so, a wave of warming fluffiness rushed through me like a sea of carefully melted marshmallows. I shouldn't be so surprised though. I am, after all, her partner. "Do you really think so, Applejack?"

She giggled. I could tell by the noise that she was tired after her long day, and I'm sure a high-caliber conversation such as this one was even more draining. Still, she didn't let that stop her from chuckling away. "Ah'd feel pretty safe bettin' on it." Despite my wall, the farmer had toppled over it. She truly had cheered me up, and I was thankful for that. She glided into a different topic. "Say, where do you live?"

Unlike her, I couldn't peel myself away from the moonlit sky. Out here at Sweet Apple Acres, it couldn't get any more beautiful. "Oh, just on the other side of Ponyville," I replied. In a distant life, I had lived my days in Cloudsdale, but I had decided to move so I could be closer to my work. I yearn for the days long lost, but I don't complain. I couldn't ask for a better home than the one I have in the friendly town of Ponyville.

"Well, shoot, it's gettin' dark out here. Would you like to stay here for the night, Derpy?"

At first, the question puzzled me. Why would I sit here on the grass all night? Sitting here all day had served a purpose, but there was nothing to be gained from staying in the spot now. Once again, my deductive skills filled in the holes that Applejack's imperfect grammar left behind. I didn't mind in the least, however, as it was a rather adorable habit of hers. I realized that Applejack had meant sleeping in her house, which was overall a much more appealing option.

I wasn't sure how to respond. Up until now, my meetings with this pony had been strictly professional. Tonight, however. Tonight, I felt like I got to know a side of this pretty mare that I hadn't known before. In the same manner, perhaps she now saw me as more than her reliable mail carrier. I felt that great things could come from this. If a friend was allowing me to stay with them, I surely didn't have it in me to turn them down. "Ah'd love to, partner!" I said, smiling wide.

She laughed. It looked like she was trying to restrain it at first, but she gave that up and just laughed. As she rose to her hooves, she gave a small groan, no doubt from being under the pressures of the day. "Well, come on, then. Let's get'chu cleaned up. If Ah can ask, why were you jumpin' in the dirt when Ah got here anyway?"

"Oh..." My mood sank a bit. She might think more ill of me once she heard the truth, but that didn't make it any less necessary to say. Swallowing my fear, I answered, "I was trying to stop a mouse from stealing your apple. I'm sorry, but he got away."

To quell my anxiety, Applejack picked up laughing again. She didn't seem very disturbed, maybe even totally unaffected by her profits being stolen away by a grabby little monster. I followed after her as she led the charge to the front door to her home. "Don't fret over it, partner. Ah'll just take that from the box o' chocolates we'll give you fer Hearth's Warming."

I was able to walk into the house that night rather satisfied with myself. And I dare to ask who wouldn't be? No matter what the future brought, no matter how many parties I didn't get invited to, there was an underlying positive in front of it all.

I was promised chocolates at the end of the year. I decided right there and then that I would share some of them with my partner, Applejack.


End file.
